Into the Shadows
My first story in a while! Main storyline: All Cloudfire wants is to be a good warrior, and a good mentor. All he wants is to recognized, to be noticed. He dreams of Larkwhisper, the prettiest she-cat in SunClan. He wishes he were deputy, or even leader. Then, Thunderclaw appears, a cat with stars in his fur, and a glow in his eyes. He has an answer, a way to make all Cloudfire's wishes come true. But the price Cloudfire will pay is higher than he imagined. Enjoy! COMMENT! Chapter 1 This den is too sunny, ''Cloudfire thought as he woke a little earlier than expected. The feeble thornbush the warriors slept beneath did little to shield them from the sun's brilliant rays. "And Ashpaw wonders why we're called SunClan," he murmured as he stretched. Pausing only to give his fur a few licks, he carefully stepped over the sleeping warriors and went out into camp. Squinting as the sun continued to blast him with light, he looked around to see who was up. Riverstar, the Clan leader, sat on Burnttree, deep in conversation with her deputy, Bramblefall. Burnttree had gotten its name from the Great Fire that had once swept through SunClan's forests. Cloudfire had only been a kit then, and all he remembered was the huge orange flames and the scent of smoke, the ashes filling his nose... Cloudfire pushed away the thought, shaking his head fiercely. He spotted Sandwhisker, her apprentice Dovepaw, and Stormheart pushing through the bramble barrier, their jaws full of fresh-kill. Cloudfire began to pad toward the fresh-kill pile, but was stopped as Ashpaw, a smoke gray tom, appeared in front of him. "Hi Cloudfire! Are we training today?" he asked brightly, bouncing up and down. "Yes, Ashpaw," Cloudfire said wearily. Ashpaw, though a very skilled apprentice, was a handful. "Calm down, we're not training yet." His apprentice nodded and stopped bouncing before racing away toward the apprentices den. Cloudfire could hear him meowing for the others to wake up. Cloudfire continued toward the fresh-kill pile, sighing deeply. "Something wrong, Cloudfire? I hope you're not sick, because I wanted you to come on patrol with me," a voice sounded in Cloudfire's ear. Turning around, he found Lionstep, a huge golden tom, standing in front of him. "I'm fine, don't worry, I'll come on patrol," Cloudfire mewed, dropping his thrush. Lionstep nodded, his amber eyes calm and steady. "Good. Eat your fresh-kill, then meet me by the barrier." And he padded away, over to two other warriors, who greeted him enthusiastically. Cloudfire settled down, alone, near the stump outside the apprentices den. He tore moodily into his thrush, feeling it crunch in his teeth. All the warriors admired Lionstep. Cloudfire tore his claws into the grass. He was just as good as Lionstep, and he didn't see anyone looking up to him. Finishing his thrush, he got up and walked over to the barrier, where Lionstep, along with Dustfern, waited. Once he reached them, Lionstep nodded and they all pushed through the entrance into the forest. As they raced past the trees toward the border, a cool wind whipped through the air, blowing all of Cloudfire's anger and irritation away. He inhaled deeply, the scent of moss and damp ground filling his nose. With Lionstep or not, Cloudfire loved the sunrise patrols. After passing the stream, they reached the border. Lionstep padded forward and sniffed around. "No other Clan-scents," he reported, looking back at them. "We'll renew our markers, then check the IceClan border." The cats nodded obediently and began to leave markers. When they were finished, they headed to the IceClan border. After checking that all was quiet, they turned and began to head home. Suddenly, Cloudfire bumped into a silver tabby she-cat. Backing up, he realized it was Larkwhisper, the dim sunlight illuminating her sleek fur. "Hello, Cloudfire. Sorry I bumped into you," she mewed, her voice like honey. "Oh, it's fine, I wasn't watching. Um, how was hunting?" he replied, his pelt tingling. ''Calm down! ''he told himself furiously. "Oh, I wasn't hunting. I just...took a walk. Borders all quiet?" "Cloudfire, are you coming?" Dustfern mewed impatiently, Lionstep already racing away. "No, just go ahead without me." The she-cat nodded, and followed Lionstep. Cloudfire turned back to Larkwhisper, who was washing her paws. "Sorry about that. The borders were fine," he meowed, transfixed by her bright aqua gaze. She let out a purr before turning away towards camp. "I suppose we should get back now. Nice talking to you, Cloudfire." She began to pad away, her feet making no sound. For a moment, Cloudfire stood, watching her go. Then, giving his head a little shake, he followed. ''If only she knew how much I care. If only she stopped to just notice. '' Cloudfire pushed through the barrier. The sun had risen higher now, and he felt an uncomfortable prickle of heat in his fur. Before he could even take a step towards the shade, though, a smoky gray ball of fur smacked into him, sending him flying backward. "You're back, Cloudfire! Are you ready to go train now?" It was Ashpaw, his eyes wide with joy. Cloudfire angrily shoved him off, landing him in a bush. "Calm down! We're not going anywhere until you learn to control yourself!" he snapped, shaking dirt from his fur as he got to paws. Sighing, he stalked off, leaving the apprentice behind. Once he reached the shade of a nearby tree, he flopped down and began to lick the dirt and leaves from his pelt. ''Why can't I just have one day to myself? Sometimes I wish I was a still a kit, innocent and free, doing whatever I pleased. Now, I get stuck with an apprentice like Ashpaw! '' Frustration pulsed through him, and he stopped washing and laid down, his head on his paws. "Having a bad day?" a meow sounded in his ear. Cloudfire looked up. Bramblefall stood over him, his eyes as green as the forest leaves. Cloudfire nodded and looked away. The deputy sat beside him, a small breeze blowing his tabby fur. "Don't worry. Ashpaw will learn soon enough. So will you," he said calmly. Cloudfire sat up. "What do you mean?" "It's not exactly a mystery that your apprentice is ignored by all the others. He wants attention." "I'm not a queen, cooing over lonely kits all day," Cloudfire grumbled. "Yes, but you still could show him some kindness and patience. His own mother didn't show him any of that," Bramblefall mewed sternly. "As your former mentor, I'm only trying to help you, you know." Cloudfire though back to when Ashpaw was a kit. His mother, Mossflower, had died giving birth, and he had been left to Ripplemist. Ripplemist had given the tom milk, but spent more time mooning over her own kits than Ashpaw. The young kit had slept alone in his own nest, and seldom left the elders den, where Frostpelt had kept him busy with plenty of stories, and chores. "Now do you see?" Bramblefall asked after a moment of silence. Cloudfire nodded. "I had forgotten," he whispered. "Most of us have. We don't tend to remember things that trouble us." "Thank you, Bramblefall," Cloudfire mewed gratefully. The deputy nodded and walked away. Cloudfire sat, gazing at the ground. ''Ashpaw and I are more alike than I thought. I guess I did forget about Ripplemist. She died two moons ago, I remember now, when that fox invaded our territory.... "Cloudfire?" an anxious mew interrupted his thoughts. It was Ashpaw. His eyes were wide as always, but no excitement lit them now as he gazed up at Cloudfire. "Yes? What is it?" Cloudfire asked. "Bramblefall said you would be ready now. I'm sorry, by the way. I didn't mean to make you angry." Cloudfire touched the young tom's head with his muzzle. "It's fine, Ashpaw. You will learn," he said gently, remembering Bramblefall's words. "Now, let's go stalk some prey!" And he raced off, Ashpaw trailing behind him. Chapter 2 Cloudfire collapsed into his nest, his legs shaking with weariness. He had been out with Ashpaw all day, trying to perfect the apprentice's stalking techniques. So far, all the tom had managed to catch was a few mice and a squirrel. They had a lot of work to do tomorrow. ''I never knew training an apprentice could be so exhausting! ''Cloudfire thought. His belly growled with hunger, but he was too tired to even stand. "Cloudfire? Would you like me to bring you a piece of fresh-kill?" a sweet voice asked. Larkwhisper. Cloudfire looked over at where she sat, the moonlight splashing on her fur, her flowery scent drifting into his nose. "What? Oh no, I can go get it myself," he said shakily, struggling to his paws. But Larkwhisper had already vanished from the den, her slim body fading as she headed for the fresh-kill pile. Moments later, she returned with two voles, and soon they were side-by-side, eating and talking quietly as the other warriors came in. "How is Ashpaw's training coming along?" Larkwhisper asked as she washed her paws. "Oh, it's going pretty good. He's a great fighter, but he has some learning to do when it comes to hunting," Cloudfire mewed, trying not to stare at her moonlit face. Larkwhisper let out a purr. "He sounds like handful." "He is," Cloudfire agreed. "Is Sunpaw doing okay?" An image of the young giner she-cat flashed in Cloudfire's mind. Larkwhisper nodded, gazing thoughtfully outside the den. She sighed. "What is it?" Cloudfire asked, looking over at her. "Oh, it's nothing, just...sometimes I feel like life is passing me by so fast. It feels like just yesterday I was a kit in the nursery. I remember how you used to come and teach us battle moves. Dawnfur would always scold us for that," she said. "Do you remember when you jumped through the nursery wall?" he asked. Larkwhisper, Larkkit then, had been so excited to leave the confines of the nursery she had leapt straight into the bramble wall. "Yes, and you pulled me out," she purred. "Dawnfur wanted to shred me." "You wouldn't be easy to shred, even then," he said nervously. She didn't reply. A moment of silence passed between them, the only sounds being the voices of other warriors drifting in from camp. "We'd better get some rest," Cloudfire suggested, turning to go his nest. "Goodnight, Larkwhisper. Nice talking with you." "Move it! You're standing where I sleep!" Berrywillow, a creamy she-cat, mewed grumpily as she stepped into the den. "Goodnight, Cloudfire," Larkwhisper said softly before settling down in her own nest. Cloudfire lay awake, tossing and turning. Larkwhisper's beautiful face wouldn't leave his mind. Frustrated, he shook his head fiercely and put his head on his paws. Through the branches of the den he spotted Lionstep speaking to Bramblefall, their heads bent close. Irritation pricked his pelt, and he fell into an uneasy sleep. Chapter 3 "Cloudfire! Cloudfire!" A voice shook the white warrior awake. "What?" he mewed sleepily as he opened his eyes, squinting as sunlight pierced them. "Cloudfire, there's an invasion! It's IceClan!" It was Berrywillow. "IceClan? What do they want?" "What do you think, mouse-brain? More territory!" the she-cat wailed. "But...the borders were fine yesterday," Cloudfire said as he got his paws. But Berrywillow had gone from the den. Cloudfire looked around, and realized it was empty. Alarmed, he immediately raced out into camp. Not stopping, he pelted throught the barrier and into the forest. Fierce yowls could be heard towards the IceClan border. Cloudfire followed them, the trees flying past him in a blur. When he reached the battle, he stopped, gazing around. He saw Lionstep defeating a large tabby, yowling in triumph. Berrywillow and Dustfern faced off against a huge gray tom, while Bramblefall and Dawnfur battled against two other warriors. Larkwhisper was nowhere to be seen. Pushing away this thought, Cloudfire raced towards a white and brown she-cat that was crouching behind Berrywillow, getting to ready to pounce. Cloudfire slammed into the warrior, knocking her away. Leaping on top of her, he raked his claws down her sides. The she-cat gave a cry of pain and battered her hind paws into his belly. Pain pulsed through Cloudfire but he didn't let her up. Suddenly, sharp teeth pierced his foreleg, holding it tightly. Leaping away, Cloudfire saw a scarlet stain spread across his fur, but he ignored it and faced the she-cat, who struggled to her feet, panting as blood flowed from the scratches his claws had left. But her amber eyes still glinted with menace as she turned toward him, crouching. Cloudfire got ready to dodge her blow. But before it came, Berrywillow appeared, pinning the she-cat down. "Go help Dustfern! Stormclaw is too much for us! I'll handle this one!" the creamy cat cried, digging her claws into the she-cat. Nodding, Cloudfire turned and saw that the gray tom was on top of Dustfern. The warrior struggled as he clawed her sides. Strength flaring in his muscles, Cloudfire jumped and hit the tom right in the chest. They flew through the air, and landed hard on the ground, Stormclaw on top. Cloudfire let out a pained yowl as sharp claws dug into his sides. He struggled, furiously battering the huge warrior's belly, but Stormclaw held on. "This territory is IceClan's and you know it!" he snarled as he clawed Cloudfire again. The tom felt warm blood soak his pelt. This couldn't go on much longer. Suddenly, there was a flash of golden fur. Cloudfire felt Stormclaw's weight vanish. He looked up and gasped. Lionstep had pinned the tom down, and now tore at him fiercely, his green eyes glowing. "This will teach you a lesson!" Cloudfire heard him yowl as he gave Stormclaw a fierce bite. The tom raced away, his gray pelt vanishing slowly. Cloudfire got to his paws, weariness and pain tugged at him, but he still was eager to fight. This was his chance to prove himself! Seeing his leader, Snowstar, struggling against three warriors, he shot off, energy pulsing through him as he thought of the Clan cheering for his bravery, Lionstep's eyes glowing with pride, Larkwhisper gazing at him, her face lit with love and admiration... Suddenly, a shrill yowl pierced the air, freezing Cloudfire's blood. He turned around, afraid of what he would find. An enormous jet black tom was on top of Larkwhisper. Scarlet stains bloomed on her pelt as he sliced through her with thorn-sharp claws. Larkwhisper turned her head and locked her blue eyes with Cloudfire's, holding his gaze. Cloudfire felt a shiver run through him as he stared into her pained face. She jerked her head away as the tom clawed her again. Anger burned through Cloudfire, strengthening his weary muscles. Springing forward, he shot towards the two. Just as the warrior went for Larkwhisper's throat, Cloudfire slammed into him, knocking him aside. Leaping on top of him, Cloudfire raked his claws down the tom's belly. The tom yowled out and jammed his hind paws into Cloudfire's belly. Cloudfire felt himself fly through the air and hit the base of a tree, where he fell in a heap. The blood from his wounds continued to pour out as he lay in the dirt, trying to get up. "Cloudfire!" Larkwhisper mewed. "No!" The tom closed in, circling, his teeth bared. Letting out a fierce caterwaul, he charged towards Cloudfire. Desperate, Cloudfire rolled out of the way, hearing a dull thud as the tom crashed into the tree. Struggling to his paws, he turned around and gazed at the defeated warrior, who lay in a crumpled mess of fur, blood oozing from the cuts inflicted by Cloudfire's claws. Triumph ran through Cloudfire as he staggered wearily over to Larkwhisper, who leaned on Redstripe, a dark ginger tom. Larkwhisper's eyes, though tired, brightened when she saw Cloudfire. She immediately padded over and rubbed against him. "Thank StarClan!" she breathed, licking Cloudfire's cheek. "I can't thank you enough. You saved my life." "That's right," Snowstar, whose sides were heaving, said as he came up beside them. "You fought very bravely, Cloudfire. Nightwhisker is a very strong warrior. We're all very proud. Your apprentice practically collapsed when he saw you fight." the leader mewed proudly. "Now, you should get back to camp and get something on those cuts. They look deep." "Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine," Cloudfire said quickly as they started off. But even as he said it, he felt an odd weakness spreading over him. His legs shook slightly. The last thing he heard before darkness swallowed him was Larkwhisper's shrill mew as he fell into her. Chapter 4 A freezing wind whipped through the forest, rattling the few leaves that the trees still had. Barely noticeable, a dark tabby cat crept through the shadows, crouching low, his amber eyes narrowed. Nearby, he could hear the sharp mews of two cats training, probably Breezestorm and Hawkwind. Those two never gave up. Shaking the thoughts from his head, the warrior kept going, slipping past more cats, until he reached a stone cavern. Two other cats stood outside, their eyes watchful. One, a white and black tom, approached him. "What is it, Thunderclaw?" he hissed, his yellow eyes narrowing at the sight of the tabby. "Greetings, Darkfang. I wish to speak with Shadow. It's urgent." Darkfang was unconvinced. "What is so urgent that a lowly cat like you would need Shadow?" he questioned. "It's about a...task I was given." Shadow had warned Thunderclaw not to tell anyone about his special task. Backing away, Darkfang nodded. "Very well. Go in," he said, signaling to the other guard to step away from the wilted willow curtain shielding the cavern. Swallowing hard, Thunderclaw pushed through and entered. The cavern was no warmer than the forest outside. It's bare rock walls looked threatening in the dark. In the center was large, circular nest of willow and moss, also dead. On top sat a huge she-cat with long, sleek black fur and piercing green eyes. They narrowed at the sight of Thunderclaw. "What do you want, Thunderclaw? You have chosen a bad time to disturb me," the she-cat hissed coldly. Thunderclaw bowed his head. "Shadow. I have news, urgent news," he mewed, his voice barely a whisper. This cat had always intimidated him. Shadow leapt gracefully down from her nest onto the hard ground in front of him. Her face was inches from his own. "Is it about your task?" she demanded, her eyes burning his. He took a few steps back. "Yes." "Then what is it?" Shadow advanced toward him once more. "You cowardly piece of filth," she taunted as he flattened against the rock wall. Thunderclaw stood up straight, facing her, forcing himself to look into those haunting eyes. "I have seen him fight," he reported. "He is very good. He fought off many warriors much larger than he is. And he bravely defended his Clanmates." "His Clanmates!" Shadow spat, as though the word were poison. "Fools! Remind me why I assigned you this task" "To gain revenge on SunClan, especially Snowstar and Lionstep," Thunderclaw recited, remembering the day a little too clearly in his mind. He could feel the scar on his haunch tingle. Shadow had brutally attacked him after he had tried to refuse. The scars on both Thunderclaw's mind and body still ran deep. "Did he sustain serious injuries?" Shadow's words snapped him back to the present. "Yes. He was thrown into a tree, and had deep cuts along his sides. He should be ready to start training in about 2 days," Thunderclaw said quickly, not wishing to anger her. "Good, good. Bring him...tomorrow night, at moonhigh. You know what to do." Thunderclaw gulped but bowed his head obediently. "Yes, Shadow," he mewed as he turned to go. "Don't let me down." Her words followed him out of the den and echoed in his mind. Padding past Darkfang, Thunderclaw ran into the forest and threw himself onto the ground beneath a tree. "What have I done?" he wailed. Laying his head onto his paws, he fell into an uneasy sleep. Chapter 5 Cloudfire woke to a stinging pain in his sides. He sleepily lifted his head and gazed around. He was in the warriors den. The others were sleeping beside him, their soft breathing filling the room. Cloudfire could feel the soreness in his muscles. He remembered the battle, saving Larkwhisper, being thrown into that tree... Sorry, I can't edit anymore. :(